Back to Blockchain Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong recently gave a two-hour interview. Skipping over some of his business philosophy and startup story (I hate listening to that), he still covered some key points: @brian_armstrong 1. Prediction Markets: The Combination of AI Agents and Prediction Markets (AI & Prediction Markets) Prediction markets are powerful "truth-seeking" tools: Brian believes that prediction markets are excellent signals reflecting the truth of the world and future trends, with a signal-to-noise ratio far higher than traditional polls or mainstream media. AI Settlement of Smart Contracts: He proposed a cutting-edge idea: using AI agents as referees for prediction market settlements. Instead of relying on a single traditional media report to settle contracts, multiple AI models (such as Gemini, Grok, OpenAI) can simultaneously collect evidence online and provide answers. As long as a majority of AIs reach a consensus, the contract is settled immediately, which will be more credible and efficient than human settlement. Thoughts: This section felt very abstract, but prediction markets still have a long way to go! 2. How Cryptocurrencies Will Reshape the World: "Exchanges of Everything": Within the next 3 to 4 years, all asset classes, including stocks, commodities, forex, and prediction markets, will be on-chain, enabling decentralized trading globally 24/7. Network States & Special Economic Zones: This section explores the possibility of decoupling government governance from currency. Brian anticipates the emergence of "special economic zones" or crypto cities operating on blockchain, where land ownership, mortgage lending, and regulatory experiments are fully on-chain, significantly reducing the red tape of traditional bureaucracy. Thoughts: I think this section is the key point, comparing the recent growth trends of stablecoins and RWA. 3. Bitcoin as a "New Gold Standard": Since the US dollar abandoned the gold standard in 1971, countries have been mired in deficits and inflation. Brian believes that Bitcoin, with its absolute scarcity and decentralized nature, is becoming the "new gold standard" of the global financial system and can play a check on excessive government deficit spending. Thoughts: This is just the beginning; let's see how beautifully this pie will be drawn in the next bull market!